How to Find the Interval Between Two Dates in SQL

Do you need to find the difference between two dates in SQL? Whether you're trying to calculate the time between two events or the age of a person, SQL can help you get the answer you need.

The Solution

The solution is to use the DATEDIFF() function. This function takes three arguments: the start date, the end date, and the unit of time you want to measure. For example, if you wanted to find the number of days between two dates, you would use the following query:

SELECT DATEDIFF(end_date, start_date, 'day') FROM table_name;

Examples

Let's look at a few examples of how this function can be used. Suppose you have a table called events with the following data:

If you wanted to find the number of days between the start and end dates of the Party event, you would use the following query:

SELECT DATEDIFF(end_date, start_date, 'day') FROM events WHERE event_name = 'Party';

This query would return the result 4, since there are four days between the start and end dates of the Party event.

Additional Info

The DATEDIFF() function is supported by most major databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. However, the syntax may vary slightly depending on the database you are using. For more information, check out the documentation for your particular database. 🤓